BROMANCE ISN'T DEAD

Burn-ed out

“Since retiring I’ve only had about one or two people ask me how I’ve been getting on or whether they can help, and I’m lucky to have even had that.

“It’s such a crazy bubble that when you come out you forget what the real world is like.”

Part of the blame appears to lie with football itself – players are changing clubs constantly, while the loan system is forcing young players to continually rent rather than buy and invest.

Church, who played for five different clubs in his final two years of football, said: “Towards the end of my career I felt like I was moving clubs and houses ever six months. It’s a massive spiralling issue.”

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He spent six years playing as a striker at ReadingCredit: PA:Empics Sport

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He scored 22 goals in 104 appearances for the RoyalsCredit: PA:Empics Sport

And Church insists that clubs and the FA must take on some responsibility as well.

He added: “Players are told to get their coaching badges but to get a half decent job in coaching after football is impossible.

“The only way you do that is if you’re lucky and know someone who will give you the role because now there are so many good qualified coaches who are not even ex-players anymore.

“There are jobs that you feel like you should get but there are thousands applying for them and then what do you do?”

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Church represented Wales on 38 occasionsCredit: PA:Press Association

Church’s mantra to help his old pals struggling financially is simple: Find them potential investment opportunities, then manage it and build it.

And he has already had former teammates and current players asking for help.

“The first aim is to flick the switch, whether you are 21 or 31,” he said.

“History tells us that property always grows wherever you are in the country, so you’ve got an asset that will always grow and a bit of income dependent on what you want to put into it.

“We have a team of solicitors that can help, and they are all people I trust and are transparent. That’s the main thing.

“In my experience of football, you don’t get a lot of trust and transparency.

“So that’s what I want to give to other people – and give them a life after football.”

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